A Japanese couple visited Perth recently as part of their intrepid adventure to circumnavigate the world without using a drop of petrol.

With fuel prices at a record high vehicles such as the Yamaha Passol could be the new high tech direction for urban transport. But this pair aim to prove that battery powered vehicles can venture much further a field than just the inner city.

Hiroko (42) and Kanichi Fujiwara (43) left their home west of Tokyo earlier this year and the United States of America was their first port of call. This week, some eight months and over 8000km later, the duo scooted out of Perth on the next leg of their journey. With that sort of mileage and the time taken to record it you might be thinking that perhaps their chosen mount is a tad slow. You would be right.

With a top speed of only 30 km/h and a battery that is only good for 20km at a time the recipe makes for slow going. However, this is one couple who are clearly in no hurry, they don’t expect to reach Sydney until early next year.

They have six batteries and as one runs out they stop to change it over and continue on their way. This gives them a range each day of just over 100km. Overnight they recharge not only their own batteries but also those belonging to the Passol.

Neither of the pair speak good English and that combined with my complete lack of Japanese abilities made communication difficult.  But through our limited communications it became apparent that Kanichi had visited Australia before. That trip was 17 years earlier and also involved two wheeled exploits. Back then he ventured to Kalgoorlie on a 50cc Honda scooter.

After the Australian leg of this journey the pair then head to Europe to start the next stage of their adventure from Portugal.

It is certainly clear that electric powered scooters have a big future. But as for transcontinental transport? I think I will leave that to Hiroko and Kanichi…

In Japan the Passol retails for the equivalent of around $3000 Australian. The prices will reduce as battery technology progresses but even at current prices plenty of urban dwellers are finding the advantages such vehicles offer are both wide, and varied.

The pace of progress has been a little slow due to fact that the growth and versatility of battery powered scooters is limited to, and directly linked with, developments in battery technology. It certainly doesn’t help that the latest types of battery technology are frighteningly expensive which can make the cost of the best machines prohibitive.

The Passol can be seen as the market leader in the scooter side of the battery powered equation with a reasonable 20km range from each 6kg battery. The battery contributes significantly to the 45kg weight of the Passol. Each charged battery is good for around 20km in real world use.

It does accelerate much more briskly than you might imagine and is capable of pulling away from the lights ahead of traffic. The 30kph top speed makes you somewhat of a hindrance to main road traffic but in a busy urban environment the machine certainly provides practical transport. As battery technology continues to improve so will the viability of such machines.

SPECS - Yamaha Passol

• Engine: DC motor producing just under 1kw at 1830rpm

• Starter: Electric

• Transmission: Planetary driven CVT

• Wheelbase: 1,040 mm

• Dimensions (L x W x H): 1530 mm x 600 mm x 995 mm

• Seat Height: 745 mm

• Dry Weight: 45kg

• Fuel Capacity: Each 6kg battery is good for 20km of travel

• Tyres: Front _ 60-12; Rear _ 100-12

• Suspension: Front _ Telescopic forks, preload adjustable; Rear _ Unit swingarm

• Brakes: Front _ Drum; Rear _ Drum

• Price: $3000 (Approx.)